New morning show ‘Living Today’ to highlight Toledo culture

“Living Today,” a Toledo-based arts and entertainment television program, will premiere on WNWO 24 this fall. The new show will highlight all things Toledo, from the city’s art scene to its local businesses.

“I think a lot of people living in Toledo are not aware of the rich culture right in their backyard,” said Cori Rist, one of the show’s hosts and executive producers. “They ask things like ‘Is there anywhere new to eat’ or ‘Where can I go with my kids?’ They think that if they want to do something fun they need to travel somewhere like Ann Arbor.”

“Living Today” will air on Sundays at 7:30 a.m. before “The Today Show,” and will be available for streaming through AOL’s Console video platform. Every episode will be shot on location somewhere in Toledo to highlight a place of interest in the city.

“We want the show to be as interactive as possible between us, local businesses and the viewers,” Rist said. “We’ll go into, say, a local restaurant and they’ll teach us how to make their most popular dish, or we’ll answer viewers’ questions like ‘What is latest fashion to wear for a night on the town?’”

This interactivity is at the heart of the “Living Today” model.

“A studio setting is no where near as interactive,” said Rist’s co-host and fellow executive producer, Natalie Pohorecki, who as a makeup artist also hosts WNWO’s “Makeup Mondays” segment. “It is one thing to read about going somewhere or hearing about it, but we want viewers to watch a segment and see the location and ‘meet’ the people there. The goal is for viewers to feel like they’ve been there.”

The pair met in December 2012 during a photo shoot in Downtown Toledo sponsored by the beer brand Pabst Blue Ribbon. Rist, a veteran of the modeling industry, organized and posed for the event, and Pohorecki did the makeup.

“Living Today” will showcase roughly three businesses, organizations or major events from in and around Toledo each week. Each episode will end with a brief segment listing what notable happenings are scheduled for the following week.

Rist and Pohorecki have several plans to build the show’s audience and get viewers involved with their programming.

“Local businesses have given us a great response and they want to be a part of what were doing,” Pohorecki said. “We’re going to have a lot of contests and giveaways. Many of the hometown staples are behind us.”

The inspiration for “Living Today” is a desire for people to change their point of view about living in Toledo.

“Most people don’t realize we have all the things you would find in a larger city,” said Rist, who lived in New York City for 10 years working as a model. “We have farmers markets, wine tastings and a uniquely ‘Toledo’ fashion style that’s coming from our growing hipster culture.”

Toledo’s economic woes are no secret, and the hosts are concerned that the city is too quickly discounted as a center for entertainment and culture. However, they recognize a phenomenon where people who leave the area often return to start their families. Both Rist and Pohorecki are Toledo natives who eventually returned to the area after moving away for a time.

“It’s a great area for families with good schools and a strong sense of community,” said Pohorecki, who previously lived in Ann Arbor with her husband for four years.

The hosts of “Living Today” know the kind of value that a media outlet that highlights small businesses can have from firsthand experience. Both women run their own local businesses. Rist owns a Toledo-based interior decorating and organizing solutions company called Simply Put Life and operates a website, MyItThings.com, that follows international trends in luxury living. Pohorecki is a nationally recognized makeup artist, having worked with such brands as Estee Lauder and Chanel, whose company Bridal Makeup by Natalie specializes in makeup art for weddings.

For more information on “Living Today,” visit Northwestohio.com or Facebook.com/LivingTodayTV

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Local artists organize PBR photo shoot in Toledo

A local model and producer are bringing together two staples of American culture — beer and swimsuits — in an effort to spotlight Toledo for a possible national advertising campaign.

Cory Rist recently coordinated and posed for a photo shoot that was sponsored by the brewers of Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) beer. The session took place entirely on location at the Bartley Lofts in Downtown Toledo.

Rist, who also runs her own interior decorating company called Simply Put Life, said the catalyst of the photo shoot was a celebrity birthday party.

“Back in October, one of the owners of PBR contacted me and invited me to an event they were doing at the Playboy mansion for Snoop Dogg’s birthday,” Rist said. “They also own Colt 45, which is partnered with Snoop. They were basically throwing him a birthday party with PBR. I flew out there for the weekend.”

While she was there, she met the PBR owners’ girlfriends, one of whom owns Éclairée in New York City. During the meeting, Rist was asked if she would like to do a photo shoot modeling one of Eclairee’s swimsuits.

“I mentioned that I had a photo shoot coming up with a local photographer and it wouldn’t be a problem. I already had a shoot scheduled for pictures of my son and I. So, then my friend from PBR asked if I would shoot some of their product, as well. He offered to sponsor the shoot, if I was willing to do that,” Rist said.

Rist agreed, believing that Toledo is more representative of the Pabst brand than other larger cities. Pabst then sent a variety of items to be used for the photo shoot.

“I actually have a skateboard they sent me. It’s so cool. It’s a longboard, and it actually has a beer bottle opener on the bottom,” Rist said.

Rist then began putting her production skills to work, and sought out local businesses to take part in the shoot.

“I put a team together to help, because I know there’s a lot of talent here in Toledo,” Rist said.

She asked Natalie Pohorecki if she was interested in doing the makeup. Pohorecki is an award-winning makeup artist who hosts the “Makeup Monday” and “Trendy Toledo” fashion segment on WNWO. She agreed to get involved with the PBR shoot, and explained a bit about how she was able to contribute to the project.

“I was the makeup artist and clothing stylist on location for the day. I did airbrush makeup to give Cori a perfect glow,” Pohorecki said. “We kept her makeup modern and classy. I pulled clothes from a few local boutiques, as well as from Cori’s own wardrobe, to add to what PBR sent us.”

Local photographer David Sprott took charge of shooting the pictures while Omar Khan recorded and produced a video of the process, which can be viewed on Facebook. Additionally, Phillip Kaplan shot behind-the-scenes photos and Ali Gallaro from Salon 180 styled Cori’s hair.

Rist said she is unsure how the photos will be used by PBR once they receive them, but is hopeful they will gain a lot of exposure. Rist also noted that PBR tends to have a strong social media presence and suggested that the photos could possibly be used for that, as well.

Following the photo shoot, Rist and the crew decided to hold a contest to help PBR get some local exposure.

“We thought it would be fun for Toledo to see one of their favorite beers being shot in their hometown,” Rist said.

The contest is currently being hosted on Facebook (“PBR Toledo Swag — Contest Page”), and challenges locals to post their best pictures of themselves enjoying PBR. The contest will run through Feb. 10, with two winners — one male, one female — to be announced. The winners will receive “swag packs” from PBR. Entrants must be at least 21 years old to be eligible to win.

Rist added that the PBR skateboard will not be up for grabs, and that no actual beer will be given away, “because it’s illegal, or something silly like that.”